Door actuating mechanism



Nov. 29, 1966 A. J. VAN NOORD 3,287,757

DOOR ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed July 22. 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 W l lmn I 1 mm! my INVENTOR. AND/FEM d. 1/4/1/ A/OOAD Nov. 29, 19 A. J. VAN NOORD DOOR ACTUATING MECHANISM 5 Sheets$heet 2 Filed July 22, 1964 AU'IIIIV I ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,287,757 DOOR ACTUATING MECHANISM Andrew J. Van Noord, Grand Rapids, Mich, assignor to Dolo Manufacturing Corporation, Grand Rapids, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed July 22, 1964, Ser. No. 385,553 Claims. (Cl. 16-72) This is a continuation-in-part application of my copending application Ser. No. 345,502 filed Feb. 17, 1964, now abandoned.

This invention relates generally to a double-acting door actuating mechanism, and more particularly to a door actuating mechanism employing a double-acting, uninhibited biasing spring.

The conception of a double-acting hinge has long been known to those skilled in this art. Hinges illustrative of this conception have, in the past, taken a variety of different designs and attributes, but have operated upon the same basic over-center principle. This principle involved modifying the conventional hinge, which was but two members joined pivotally upon a common pintle, by providing a coil spring, one end of which was afiixed to one of the hinged members, and the other end of which was atfixed, at a point some discrete distance from the pivotal axis of the hinge (i.e., longitudinal axis of the pintle) upon either the other hinged member or some convenient external element. This positioning of the spring caused it to exert its tension or compression along a straight line of action, extending from one of its fixed ends to the other. In this manner the spring would cause the hinge to be-urged either open or closed, depending upon which side of the pintle axis-the straight line of action of the spring was caused to be oriented. That is, as the hinge was opened and closed, the line of action of the spring was alternately shifted from one side of the pintle axis to the other, often by passing the very spring itself through a slot or other opening in the pintle provided for this purpose. Since the pintle axis is referred to as the center of the hinge structure, and since the spring was shifted across this center, hinges of this nature became generally known as over-center hinges. In such a device the location of the line of action of the spring was critical if the hinge was to operate properly. Since it was essential that this line of action be upon a straight line, such over-center hinges utilize a rigid straight cylindrical rod within the coils of the spring or a surrounding sleeve around the coils to guide and retain the spring, thereby forceably preventing the spring from exerting itself upon any line of action other than a straight line extending through the center of its coils and through its retained ends.

In attaining one of the principal objects of my in vention, I have succeeded in markedly simplifying and streamlining the design of double-acting, or self-opening and self-closing, hinges by the provision of such a hinge whose actuating spring need not and purposely does not exert its action along a straight line.

In keeping with my new concept, another of the objects of my invention is the provision of a spring-actuated double-acting hinge which has no retaining rod through the center of its spring, and no peripheral sleeve, but which instead can uninhibitedly and unrestrainedly be deformed as the hinge is actuated from one of its positions to the other.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel three-piece door actuator and holder having two-way action and complete structural simplicity by employing a spring in an uninhibited condition between its ends.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple, biasing, two-way door actuator and holder that enables 3,287,75 Ce Patented Nov. 29, 1966 catches to be dispensed with by the use of the low cost actuator. It further is almost completely free of maintenance due to its utter simplicity.

A further object of my invention lies in the provision of a double-acting actuator in the form of a hinge or supplementing a conventional hinge, and whose actuating spring exerts its force along a curved line of action, which at the point of maximum deformation of the spring tends to assume a form suggestive of an irregular loop or portion thereof.

A still further object of my invention, in one form thereof, is the provision of a double-acting combination hinge and actuator construction whose hinge plates carry outstanding elements which, in the closed position of the hinge, are crossed, and in the open position of the hinge, are uncrossed. The actuator or hinge further enables more flexible and adaptable cabinet exterior design, since the hinge preferably mounts in a practically concealed position to produce an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

Another object of this invention is to provide a doubleacting door actuator capable of use on various type of doors such as cupboard doors, screen doors, etc., with equal facility.

Additional objects and advantages, as well as other specific embodiments and variations in form, will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an exemplary cabinet and the first form of my new closure member forming part of a hinge structure;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the fragmentary cabinet and closure member structure of FIG. 1, illustrating in solid lines the position taken by the components of my hinge structure when the closure member is in the closed position, and indicating in phantom the corresponding position taken when the closure member is in the open position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of my novel hinge structure shown rotated and further illustrating the interrelationship of the parts of the hinge;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modification of the first form of the hinge;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the second form of the invention shown mounted on a door and cabinet assembly;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the apparatus in FIG. 5, showing it in the completely closed position;

FIG. 7 is a plan view similar to FIG. apparatus in a partially opened position;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the apparatus in FIG. 5 showing the closure in the full open position;

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of a third form of the invention mounted to a hinged door and cabinet assembly; and

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the apparatus in FIG. 9.

6 showing the The inventive concept underlying my new and unique double-acting actuator structure involves the utilization of a self-restorative resilient member such as a coil or other type of spring, which is completely uninhibited and unconstrained along its entire length from one attached end to the other, and which is thus enabled to exhibit a bending moment in addition to or in place of normal compressive loading. It is pivotally mounted at both ends. This resilient means is between two mounting plates. In one form of this invention the mounting plates are hinge plates which are pivotally joined about a common pintle. In other forms of the invention, the mounting plates are separate from and supplementary to the hinge or hinges.

3 FIRST FORM Refering now in detail to FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings, the preferred embodiment of my inventive double-acting hinge structure comprises basically a pair of hinge plates 12 and 14, each of which carries an outstanding arm element 16 and 18, respectively, between which is connected a coil spring 30.

The two hinge plates 12 and 14 are joined together in a freely pivotal hinging manner upon a common pintle 20. They are preferably constructed of generally flat sheet metal, which may readily be formed into whatever predetermined configuration best suits individual installation requirements. One such configuration is that shown in FIG. 2, where the stationary or cabinet-mounted hinge plate 14 is formed into a right angle which matches the corner of the cabinet surface 22, while hinge plate 12 mounted to cabinet door 24 is formed to include an acute angle which matches the shape of the cabinet door. In this manner optimum fit is obtained between the hinge and the members which it operatively joins, so that the hinge may be surface-mounted in a simple conventional fashion, as by screws 26 of FIG. 1. Yet it will be partially or even totally concealed when viewed fnom the exterior.

As previously indicated, each of the hinge plates 12 and 14 carries an outstanding arm element 16 and 18 respectively, element 18 being termed the stationary arm and element 16, associated with the cabinet door-mounted hinge plate 12, termed the shifting arm. As best seen in FIG. 2, when the door is in the closed position the shifting arm element 16 lies in a position which crosses over the stationary arm element 18, the actual angle of crossing being variable as particular needs may require, as will be subsequently discussed. In the open position of the cabinet door and hinge, the shifting arm element 16 moves with the rotation of hinge plate 12 to a new position where it no longer lies across the stationary element 18, but instead lies askew and nearly parallel to the same.

At a point near the extremity of each of the arm elements 16 and 18, I attach one of the two spaced ends of the coil spring 30, in a manner permitting each arm to pivot relative to the spring and permitting the ends of the spring to pivot on the arms. The spring 30, or other desired resilient means, may be either a compression or a bending member, but preferably possesses both these characteristics, in order to fully exhibit the following operation.

With my double-acting hinge installed upon a cabinet and a door, as shown for example in FIG. 1, and with the cabinet door in the closed position shown in FIG. 2, the spring or other resilient member 30 is under a moderate load and, since it is completely unconstrained, and uninhibited along its length, exhibits a bending deflection, as shown. The member 30 thus exerts itself along a curved line of action extending through both its fixed ends, while it urges the shifting arm element 16 away from the stationary arm element 18 due to its retention therebetween. It will thus be seen that the shifting arm element 16 is being urged in a direction which brings hinge plate 12 against hinge plate 14, thus tending to close the cabinet door 24 and retaining the door in the closed position.

Should the door now be opened, hinge plate 12 and shifting arm element 16 which it carries will be caused to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, until they assume the open position shown in phantom. Thus, shifting arm 16 will first be moved toward stationary arm 18 against the force of spring 30, thereby further loading this member and causing it to undergo an additional bending moment to exhibit an increasingly curved deflection. The spring 30 thus increasingly opposes the opening movement of the door until such time as it passes through its maximum loading and deformation. At this point, shifting arm element 16 will have been moved across the stationary arm element 18, and the end extremity of the former, upon which is retained one end of spring 30,

will move across an imaginary line drawn through the axis of pintle 20 and the extremity of stationary arm element 18 upon which is retained the other end of spring 30.

At the point where the end of the shifting arm element crosses the imaginary line just described, the spring is very nearly under its maximum loading. It thus con tinues to urge the shifting arm 16 away from the station ary arm 18 with considerable force, which now, however, causes door 24 to be opened rather than closed. The door will therefore be urged open, and will be retained in the open position until deliberately closed by reversing the operation just described.

The operation of my double-acting hinge structure can be varied as desired by altering the relative length of the arm elements 16 and 18, or by forming the same so that they cross at different angles than that shown. The latter in effect relocates the point in the opening motion of the door at which the shifting arm crosses the imaginary line through the pintle axis and the spring-retaining extremity of the stationary arm 18. This changes the point at which the hinge ceases to urge the door in one direction and commences to urge the door in the other. Similarly, many specific kinds of resilient means could conceivably be utilized other than the coil spring, although I have found the latter to definitely be preferable. Other such resilient means might be a simple leaf or other bending beam member retained in a similar fashion upon the out standing arm eelments, or other member capable of being loaded in the manner indicated and of undergoing the contorting movements and to exert itself upon the changing and curving line of action indicated.

MODIFICATION OF FIRST FORM In FIG. 4 is shown a modification of my double-acting hinge to more clearly illustrate its flexibility and adaptability in design and application. This modification has its hinge plates and formed so as to include a pair of right angles. These will interfit in a nesting fashion against each other when door 240 is in a closed position. This readily accommodates a door having an inner surface of considerably different form than that shown in FIG. 2 and discussed previously. This modification also shows a different form of pintle 200, and a different and simpler method of retaining the spaced ends of spring 300 upon the end extremities of the stationary arm element and the shifting arm element 160, by simply inserting the curved ends of the spring through holes drilled in the arm elements.

SECOND FORM The second form of the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 5 through 8 is shown in the form of a complete assembly 101 which includes a typical cupboard 102 having an opening closed by a door 104. The door is mounted on a hinge assembly which includes a first bracket 106 mounted to the door by screws 108, and configurated to fit the door edge. It is interconnected by a pintle 110 to a second plate bracket 112 attached to the cupboard by screws 114. A plurality of these hinges is normally employed on the vertical extent of the door, but only one is shown for purposes of convenience.

Separate from this hinge structure, but cooperative therewith, is the acuator and holding assembly 120. This assembly includes a first plate bracket 122 mounted to the door, a second plate bracket 124 mounted to the cupboard, and a deformable, uninhibited resilient element 126 in the form of a coil spring extending therebetween.

The first bracket includes a base attached to the door by screws 128, and an outwardly extending leg normal to the plate and projecting away from the inner door surface as shown. This leg is shorter than cooperative leg 130 extending normal to the mounting body of plate 124. The ends of coil spring 126 are secured to the outwardly extended ends of these two legs or arms, but are free to pivot around their respective swedged connector buttons 132 and 134. The longer outer end or arm 130 is offset to be substantially in the same plane as the arm of plate 122 so that the ends of the spring are coplanar. As in the previous form of the invention, the resilient element is uninhibited between its fixed ends, so as to assume any particular distorted configuration necessary. That is, it is free to move laterally off its normal, free axis containing both ends of the spring. It is flexible and resilient in nature so as to automatically return to its coaxial position upon release of the compressive forces forcing the two ends closer to each other during the operation of the mechanism.

The operation is similar to that previously described. It is illustrated in its respective stages in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. In the completely closed position, the door it retained by the holding action of the unique actuating assembly. That is, door 104 is held over the opening in cupboard 102 by the two ends of the spring. The two ends of the crossed legs or arms are forced away from each other by the axial compressive action of the distored spring 126. It will be noted that the spring in the completely closed position of the door is still purposely deformed and under compressive forces outwardly away from its center toward the fixed ends. This achieves a tight holding action of the door over the opening. In this position, the spring, deformed to a slightly arcuate position, has a continuous bias tending to force it to its lineal position.

As the door is opened by pulling on a suitable handle (not shown) it pivots about the axis of its hinge pintle 110 (FIG. 7) so that arms 130. and 131 uncross due to movement of the shorter arm 131 back across the longer arm 130 while pulling the spring with it. Since the two ends of the arms move toward each other during this action, the spring must be deformed further into a smaller loop temporarily against its increased bias while the ends of the springs pivot about their mountings and are brought closer to each other. As soon as the ends of the arms are uncrossed, the bias of the spring tends to force them apart since the two ends pass a position where they are closest together and then begin to depart from each other again. As this occurs, the spring biases the door to its open position illustrated in FIG. 8, and holds it in this position due to the inherent resiliency of element 126. Thus, it comprises a holding element as well as an actuating element. It supplements the action of the hinge mounting.

THIRD FORM In FIGS. 9 and 10, the third form of the inventive combination 250 is shown to include the complete combination of a door frame or housing 252 having an open ing 254 to be covered by door 256 shiftable from an open position to a closed position. The door is hingedly mounted on the edge of the door frame by a plurality of like, vertically spaced hinges 260 on a common hinge axis. Each hinge includes the two elements interconnected by a hinge pin as previously.

The form of the actuator in this instance is slightly different, in that the fixed mounting element 262 is not attached to the door frame immediately adjacent the hinge so as to have an elongated arm element which must extend away from the hinge to produce the offset. Rather, the element is secured to the undersurface of the top member of frame 252 at a distance away from the hinge axis. This element is basically a plate type bracket mounted by suitable screws 266 to the undersurface, and

having a downwardly projecting offset portion 262' with a protruding circular embossment 270 to receive one curled end of an elongated coil type, flexible, biasing compression spring 272.

The second mounting element 276 includes a depend ing flange 276' attached by suitable screws 278 to the inner face of door 256. The arm portion of this element, protruding normal to the face of the door, also includes an embossment 280 coplanar with embossment 270. It re- 6 ceives the opposite curled end of spring 272 to interfit therewith.

It will be observed that, as previously, as the door is moved on its hinge axis from its closed position to its open position, spring mounting elements 270 and 280 move toward-each other and then away from each other again. This is because the distance between these mounting elements and thus the ends of the spring are greater when the door is in the open and closed positions, than in the intermediate position. This is so since the free end of the arm of bracket 276 moves in an arcuate path where its intermediate point is closest to embossment 270.

In the open position, therefore, the spring tends to force the two mounting elements away from each other, and assumes the position illustrated in FIG. 10 where the spring is free and undistorted. As the door is moved to a closed position it must be initially pushed against the opening bias of the spring until the ends of the spring are both on imaginary line 282 which is constant and connects the center points of the pivotal axis for the end of the spring at 270 and the hinge axis at 260. Of course, as the spring is shifted to this position, it must deform along its length laterally of its normal straight line axis. After it moves past line 282, mount 280 be- 1 gins to move away from mount 270 again. Therefore,

the spring applies a compression against these ends to force them apart again, thereby shifting the door to the completely closed position. At this position, element 276 is in the deformed position illustrated in phantom in FIG. 10. The spring 270 is then still under a small compression, and deformed, to hold the door tightly closed.

It is apparent, therefore, that the device is a doubleacting mechanism since it assists opening and closing. It also serves as a closure means to retain the door in the particular open or closed position. The operative mechanism is extremely simple, and can be mounted to practically any type of hinged door and frame assembly.

When the fixed mounting element must be attached to the vertical side of the frame adjacent the hinge as in the first two forms of the invention, it must necessarily have the extended free arm to achieve the offset relationship essential for the operation of the mechanism. However, when it is possible to mount it to the upper cross member of the frame at a spaced distance from the hinge axis, as in the third form, it need not have the extended free arm but can have the spring mount attached directly on the small bracket plate.

It is entirely conceivable that the coil spring may be substituted by a proper leaf spring. As a matter of fact, either of these springs may be coated with a resilient material of plastic or rubber type composition. In some instances, it is even possible for the resilient element to be entirely of a synthetic plastic material or a rubber base material without containing metal as long as it has an elongated configuration, an inherent resilience to apply a bias outwardly toward its ends when compressed, and sufficient flexibility to enable temporary deformation repeatedly without structural failure. In the preferred form of the invention, this deformation occurs away from the axis of the unit formed by drawing a straight line between its mounted ends. Conceivably, however the unit can be compressible between its ends to deform temporarily by shortening rather than by bending. Thus, in the broadest aspects of this invention, all of these and equivalent variations are feasible. Therefore, this invention is not to be limited merely to the preferred specific forms illustrated, but only by the scope of the appended claims and the reasonable equivalents to those defined therein.

I claim:

1. In a double-acting door operating structure for an enclosure including a door hinged to a supporting frame of the enclosure about hinges having a vertical hinge axis for movement from a closed position over an opening to the inside of said enclosure to an open position permitting access to the inside of said enclosure through said opening and vice versa, said supporting frame having side and top edges surrounding and facing said opening, said door covering said opening and being hinged to swing away from the inside of said enclosure, said door when closed having its inside face facing the inside of said enclosure and its outside face facing outwardly of said enclosure, the improvement comprising: first and second mounting elements attachable respectively to the door and frame; said first mounting element including a mounting plate mounted on the said inside face of said door and an arm extending toward and into said opening when the door is closed; said second mounting element including a mounting plate secured to one of said edges and having a support element extending into said opening, means on said arm and means on said support element for pivotally mounting opposite ends of a spring element, both of said means being located on a horizontal plane; a spring element pivotally connected at each end to respective ones of said means; said spring element being movable with hinged movement of said door from open open to closed position from a first position offset on one side of a horizontal line between said hinge axis and said means of said support element, across said line, to a second position oifset on the other side of said horizontal line; the ends of said spring element being spaced further apart in said open and closed positions than in the cross-over position on said axis; and said spring element being resiliently deformable with movement between said positions.

- 2. The device of claim 1 in which the spring element is in substantially extended, relaxed condition when the door is open and said spring element provides a stop 8 element is an arm extending into said opening slightly offset in a vertical direction from the arm of said first mounting element and crossing the same when the door is closed.

5. The device of claim 4 in which the mounting elements are integral parts of the hinges for the door.

6. The device of claim 2 in which the said second mounting element is mounted on the side edge of said supporting frame adjacent the hinge, and said support element is an arm extending into said opening slightly offset in a vertical direction from the arm of said first mounting element and crossing the same when the door is closed.

7. The device of claim 3 in which the said second mounting element is mounted on the side edge of said supporting frame adjacent the hinge, and said support element is an arm extending into said opening slightly offset in a vertical direction from the arm of said first mounting element and crossing the same when the door is closed.

8. The device of claim 6 in which the mounting elements are integral parts of the hinges for the door.

9. The device of claim 7 in which the mounting elements are integral parts of the hinges for the door.

10. The device of claim 1 in which the second mounting means is mounted on the top edge of said frame and said support element extends downwardly into said opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 270,368 1/1883 Barlow 16-72 368,194 8/1887 Connel 1675 1,492,257 4/1924 Moore 16-180 2,011,694 8/1935 Stevens 1673 2,872,698 2/1959 Gommels 16189 X EDWARD c. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Examiner. 

1. IN A DOUBLE-ACTING DOOR OPERATING STRUCTURE FOR AN ENCLOSURE INCLUDING A DOOR HINGED TO A SUPPORTING FRAME OF THE ENCLOSURE ABOUT HINGES HJAVING A VERTICAL HINGE AXIS FOR MOVEMENT FROM A CLOSED POSITION OVER AN OPENING TO THE INSIDE OF SAID ENCLOSURE TO AN OPEN POSITION PERMITTING ACCESS TO THE INSIDE OF SAID ENCLOSURE THROUGH SAID OPENING AND VICE VERSA, SAID SUPPORTING FRAME HAVING SAID AND TOP EDGES SURROUNDING AND FACING SAID OPENING, SAID DOOR COVERING SAID OPENING AND BEING HINGED TO SWING AWAY FROM THE INSIDE OF SAID ENCLOSURE, SAID DOOR WHEN CLOSED HAVING ITS INSIDE FACE FACING THE INSIDE OF SAID ENCLOSURE AND ITS OUTSIDE FACE FACING OUTWARDLY OF SAID ENCLOSURE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: FIRST AND SECOND MOUNTING ELEMENTS ATTACHABLE RESPECTIVELY TO THE DOOR AND FRAME; SAID FIRST MOUNTING ELEMENT INCLUDING A MOUNTING PLATE MOUNTED ON THE SAID INSIDE FACE OF SAID DOOR AND AN ARM EXTENDING TOWARD AND INTO SAID OPENING WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED; SAID SECOND MOUNTING ELEMENT INCLUDING A MOUNTING PLATE SECURED TO ONE OF SAID EDGES AND HAVING A SUPPORT ELEMENT EXTENDING INTO SAID OPENING MEANS ON SAID ARM AND MEANS ON SAID SUPPORT ELEMENT FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING OPPOSITE ENDS OF A SPRING ELEMENT, BOTH OF SAID MEANS BEING LOCATED ON A HORIZONTAL PLANE A SPRING ELEMENT PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT EACH END TO RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID MEANS; SAID SPRING ELEMENT BEING MOVABLE WITH HINGED MOVEMENT OF SAID DOOR FROM OPEN OPEN TO CLOSED POSITION FROM A FIRST POSTION OFFSET ON ONE SIDE OF A HORIZONTAL LINE BETWEEN SAID HINGE AXIS AND SAID MEANS OF SAID SUPPORT ELEMENT, ACROSS SAID LINE, TO A SECOND POSITION OFFSET ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID HORIZONTAL LINE; THE ENDS OF SAID SPRING ELEMENT BEING SPACED FURTHER APART IN SAID OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS THAN IN THE CROSS-OVER POSITION ON SAID AXIS; AND SAID SPRING ELEMENT BEING RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE WITH MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS. 